210 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



December 



manufacture Turkish rugs that fool the 

 pubhc and they manage to put in the 

 irregularities of the hand-made gen- 

 uines, so only experts can tell — but the 

 public is fooled." 



"Yes, but it can't be done, because 

 it's impossible.' 



"Well, supposing that it is in the case 

 of comb honey, how about extracted? 

 There is not a case of manufacture 

 there is there?" 



"Excuse me, friend Grimes. I think 

 I hear the horn, and Mrs. Kleinmacher 

 wants me at the house. Come again, 

 Grimes." 



"Mornin', Kleinmacher." 





THE CARNIOLAN=ITAUAN 

 CROSS. 



Editor American Bee-Keeper: 



In response to your call in Novem- 

 ber issue for information concerning 

 Carniolan-Italian crosses, will say: I 

 have in one of my apiaries side by side 

 five colonies in 10-frame hives, repre- 

 sentatives of their respective strains, 

 each having characteristics of their 

 own, and I could not say which I pre- 

 fer. 



First in the row is the Buckeye three- 

 banded long tongue, every bee alike. 

 Next, imported Carniolan, just ended 

 her third season; next the Muth Strain 

 Gol«[en Italian; then two Carniolan- 

 Italians. 



It was exceedingly interesting to 

 closely study the nature of each during 

 the last three seasons. Early this 

 spring the first three mentioned started 

 ofif with the Carniolan, the strongest, 

 the three-banders second, and goldens 

 third. For a time Heither seemed to 

 prosper, owing to the very late spring. 

 Then all at once the Carniolans began 

 to increase rapidly, just seemed to 

 boom. It was not long until I gave 

 the other two each a frame of brood 

 and bees from them, to start them ago- 

 ing, because it was getting late. One 

 could see the improvement in the two, 

 very quickly. 



The latter part of May I noticed 

 queen cells in my Carniolan colony, 

 and knowing their willingness to 

 swarm, I quickly changed their minds 

 by making two nuclei, when it was time 

 for mating, placed entrance guards in 

 front of all hives except the three-band- 

 ers, and I now have two, true to name 

 Carniolan-Italians. Their bees resem- 

 ble the three-banders, though some- 

 what darker, and bands more narrow, 

 with characteristics of Carniolans, gen- 

 tie to the extreme, boil over when you 

 open the hive, and breeders you never 

 had better. It was no time until these 

 two nuclei were as strong as any in 

 the lot, the only thing that prevents 

 them becoming popular, is their swarm- 

 ing propensity. However, I must say, 

 I give them close attention, and seem 

 to catch them in the nick of time, as 

 they have never swarmed tor me. 



In the fall of 1901 I presented a friend 

 of mine with one of my fine Carniolans,. 

 because he was taken with their gentle- 

 ness, but last August he did away with 

 them, because he said, "that colony 

 swarmed only seven times in less than 

 three months." So it seems I averted 

 their swarming impulse, and my friend 

 failed to understand. 



My Carniolan-Italians will always 

 have my closest attention. I find they 

 winter better, and breed up better in 

 the spring. 



I help strengthen my weaker colonies 

 with frames of brood, and bees from 

 them. 



Please remember that other strains 

 have good qualities these do not pos- 

 sess. 



I have often thought if I could com- 

 bine the good qualities of these difYer- 

 e4it strains, I would have a race, that 

 might be christened, "Eureka" bees. 

 Yours truly, 



Fred W. Muth. 



Mr. Jacob Alpaugh, of Gait, Ontario, 

 a Canadian specialist, writes that the 

 past season was too wet for best results. 

 He secured an average per colony of 

 150 pounds (spring count) and 100 jer 

 cent, increase. Mr. A. is making prepa- 

 rations to test a modification of John 

 McArthur's old scheme. He will prob- 

 ably devote the winter months to build- 

 ing up an apiary in South Florida, and 

 take the bees to Canada in early spring. 



